Refrigeration



Dec. 3, 1929. F, o, CONlLL 1,738,233

REFRIGERATION Filed Jan. 16, 1925 @3% www? fwn/ Patented Dec. 3, 16291,738,233

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FERNAN o. coNIIiLfor MARSEILLE, rnarnni:V l

:REF1tranrtn'irevn y Application tiled yJanuary 16, 1923.'y seria; no.612,886.

This invention relates to refrigeration liquefied gas, which, upon thecessation of and more particularly to an art and apthe heating of theliquidin the otherreparatus for preparing refrigerating apceptacle,begins to evaporate and in so doparatus for practical use. ing obtainsits heat of evaporation from 5 One of the objects .of this invention isto the refrigerating chamber and producing 55 provide a, simple andpractical refrigerattherein the coolmg or refrigeratmg action. ingapparatus of highly efficient and edec- One of the dominant aims of thisinvention tive action. Another object of this invenis to provide an artand apparatus for pretion is to provide a practical art and apparingrefrigeratingapparatus of this charn, paratus for preparing therefrigerating ap-y acter for practical operation, and with the 60paratus for efficient practical use and action above understanding itmight be noted furand more particularly for preparing, and ther thatvarious liquids or solvents and filling the apparatus with, the activesoluvarious gases acting therewith may be emtion. Another object is toprovide an art ployed. In the ensuing description, howof the abovecharacter which may be readily ever, it will be assumed that the liquidsol- 65 carried out in* practice, and more particuvent employed is waterand that the gas dislarly one which is well adapted for carry solvedtherein and acting therewith is aming on commercially on a large scale.monia; but it will be understood that water Other objects will 'be inpart obvious or in and `ammonia are hereinafter employed ilpart pointedout hereinafter. v lustratively and that many of the features70 Theinvention accordingly consists in the of this invention are applicableto other solfeatures of construction, combinations of vents and gases.It may further be noted, elements, arrangements of parts, and in thehowever, that the preferred embodiment -of several steps and relationand order of each ,my invention includes Water as the solvent 35 of thesame to one or more of the others, and ammonia as the soluble gas. 75all as will be illustratively described here- Referring now to thedrawing, there is in, and the scope of the application of which shown at10 a container or tank which may will be indicated in the followingclaims. bel supplied as by the vent 11 with the liquid In theaccompanying drawing there is solventindicated at' 12. The container 10shown diagrammatically one 'of various posis preferably jacleted as at13, the jacket so sible embodiments of the mechanical fea- 13 beingconnected as by the` conduit 14 t tures of this invention. lwith anysuitable source of cooling or re- As conducive to a clearerunderstanding frigeratlng brine. A gas container 15 proe of thisinvention, it might be noted at this vided with a valve 15a is connectedto the point that this invention deals more particcontainer 10 as by theconduit 16, a pipe 17 e5 ularly with refrigerating apparatus in gen-y inconnection with the conduit 16 extenderal of the character such as thatdiscloseding into the container or tank l() with its in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. discharge end Well below the upper level 612,888filed January 16, 1923, and which of the liquid solvent 12. Ashereinabove set 4.o` includes principally two receptacles in comforth,the liquid solvent 12 is preferably ce munication with one another, oneof which water.

is adapted to receive therein a suitable liq- The water 12 employed ispreferably disuid having dissolved therein a liquefiable tilled water inorder to free it from imgas. This liquid or solution in the onerepurities, and may be distilled in any suitceptacle is, in thepractical operation of the able manner. A quantity of potassium bi- 95apparatus, heated to drive the gas out of chromate is added to thewater, and there solution and into the other receptacle Where is also`dissolved in the water a quantity of the gas is liquefied. -f Thislatter receptacle calcium chloride for purposes hereinafter hasassociated with it a suitable refrigeratset forth. At this point it maybe noted,

ing chamber in thermal contact with the however, that the potassiumbichromate is 1GO preferably added in the proportion of two grams foreach liter of water. The calcium chloride is added to materially raisethe boiling point of the, resultant solution and preferably insuflicient quantity to raise the boiling point to. approximately 180 C.After such an addition has been made, the solution `may be agitated tohasten the dissolving of the salt in the water, after which theresultant solution is ltered in any suitable manner and introduced intothe container 10. Through the conduit 14 there is then introducedcooling brine to maintain the solution 12 at a relatively lowtemperature, preferably in the neighborhood of *15 C., the calciumchloride in the solution 12 acting to lower the freezing pointsufficiently to prevent freezing from taking place.

The valve 158L is thereupon turned on to permit the ammonia gas from thecontainer 15 -to flow through the conduit 16 and the pipe 17 into thesolution- 12, by Which it is dissolved. The water as treated above isfound to have a much greater capacity for absorbing the ammonia gas thanpure water alone and the flow of ammonia is maintained until thesolution 12 is saturated therewith. The solution 12 thus prepared andthus saturated with ammonia is thereupon ready for introduction into therefrigerating apparatus and may thereupon be distributed to therefrigerating apparatus to be charged therewith.

Before such distribution, however, takes place, the temperature of thesolution 12 is raised in order that there may be effective at theN freesurface of the solution a slight pressure due to the ammonia gas tendingto come out of solution not only thereby to prevent the occlusion of airby the solution but also for another purpose to be more clearlydescribed hereinafter. The temperature may be raised in any suitablemanner as by cutting off the How of brine through the jacket 13, andpreferably the temperature is raised to about 0o C. .v

One of the refrigerating apparatuses hereinbefore briefly described isindicated generally at 18, and it will be noted that it includes areceptacle 18a which is adapted to receive and contain the liquid withthe lique- .able gas dissolved therein, and another receptacle 18bconnected with the rst receptacle as by the conduit 18C. The tworeceptacles are in practice sealed and the receptacle 18b is providedwith a refrigerating chamber 18d, preferably `wholly enclosed within thereceptacle 18b and' adapted to be surrounded by the gas which isliquefied in the receptacle 18,b upon the heating of the solution in thereceptacle 18a to drive the gas out of solution and into the receptacle18b to be liquefied therein. As to the details of construction of thisrefrigerating apparatus, which, it is to be understood, is merelydiagrammatically illustrated in the drawing, reference may be had to myabove-ineiitioiied co-pending application, and itis, moreover,

to be understood that the apparatus shown inv application, and to thisfilling vent 19 isl connected as by the lieXible tube or conduit 2O amain conduit 21 leading to the container 10 hereinbefore described. Therefrigerating apparatus is immersed in a tank or container 22 adapted tobe connectedas by the conduit`22a to a suitable source of heat, such as,for example, to a steam supply, by means of which the apparatus 18 maybe heated in order to drive olf air that may adhere to the interiorwalls thereof or that may be oecluded by the substance of the wallsthemselves. In the conduit 21 is inserted a two-way valve 23 adapted inone position to close the conduit 21 against the flow of solutiontherein and to the icceptacli. 18a and to connect to the flexibleconduit 2() and hence to the apparatus 18 an air-pump 24, as by means ofthe conduit 25. rlhe airpuinp 24 thus acts to remove the air fiom theinterior of the apparatus 18 and aftei exhausting the air from theapparatus to a suiicient degree to reduce the pressure therein to aboutfrom 0.5 to 5 mm. of mercury, the steam supply to the jacket 22 is eutoil' and the jacket thereupon supplied with cooling brine as by theconduit 22". The temperature of the apparatus is in this manner reducedto about -200 C. and it may at this point be noted that this temperatureis below that at which the prepared solution 12 in the container 10hereinbefore described is maintained. The two-way valve 23 is thereuponpositioned to cutoff the air-exhausting pump 24 and to connect to theflexible conduit 20, and hence to the receptacle 18n ofthe refrigfcr`ating apparatus, the conduit 2L which` as above noted, leads to thecontainer 10. The apparatus 18 is thereupon ready to be charged with therequired amount of prepared solution.

In the conduit 21 is inserted a measuring device for predetermining thequantity of prepared solution with which the particular apparatus 18 isto be charged. This measuring'device may take the form of a container 26connected at its upper end with that portion of the conduit 21 leadingto the tank or container 10, a valve 21 being inserted to control theadmission of the prepared solution to the measuring device 26. The lowerend of the container 26 is connected to that portion of the conduit 21leading to the apparatus being charged, and a valve 21b is adapted tocontrol the flow of the solution to the apparatus being charged. At a'convenient point in the side Wall of the measuring apparatus 26, Whichmay conveniently be of cylindrical form', I prefer to insert a glassWindow 26a in order that the action Within the container 26 may bereadily observed. A glass gauge 26" is connected to the container 26 inorder that the level of the solution therein may be at all timesindicated, and associated with this glass gauge 261 is preferably ascale 26?'suitably graduated in order directly to indicate the volume orquantity of solution Within the measuring container 26.

The solution 12 having been dprepared in the container 10 ashereinbefore described, the valve 21b isvclosed and the valve 21a openedto permit the loW of a quantity of xthe solution l2 into the container26. rlhe flovv is allowed to continue until the height indicated by theglass gauge 261 and by the' associated scale 26c corresponds to thevolume or quantity of solution intended to be passed into the particularrefrigerating apparatus 18. For this purpose the scale 26c mayconveniently be graduated to read directly in liters, for example, sincethe quantity of solution with Which the apparatus 18 is to be chargedlmay vary, as Will be readily understood, in accordance with the size orintended refrigerating capacity ofthe apparatus 18 itself.

The required amount of solution having been passed into the measuringdevice 26, the valve 21a is closed to cut off the flow of the solutionfrom the main tank, and the valve 21b is thereupon opened, it beingunderstood, of course, as hereinbefore described,- that the two-Wayvalve 28 is first positioned to cut off the air-exhausting pump 24 andto connect the apparatus 18 directly to the conduit 21. The pressureWithin the apparatus 18 having been materially reduced by the pump 24,as above described, the iiovv of the measured p quantity of solution atonce takes place from 'the measuring device 26 and into the receptacle18a of the refrigeratingM apparatus 18, after Which the valve 21b may beclosed to place the apparatus in condition for subsequent operation.

At this point it should be noted that during the charging of theapparatus 18 with a predetermined quantity of solution the temperatureof the apparatus 18 is maintained in proximity to -200 C., and that thetemperature of the solution l2, after its preparation as` hereinbeforedescribed, has been brought to about 0 C; This difference in pressureinsures the maintenance of a gas pressure at the free surface of thesolution with which the apparatus 18 is being charged, which pressure isgreater than that inside the apparat-us 18, thus insuring the spacewithin the apparatus'18 not occupied by the quantity of solution withWhich it is supplied being charged with gas coming out ofsolution and toanammonia gas container 30 or to a testing apparatus, generallyindicated at 31, and to be more clearly hereinafter described. Thetivo-Way valve 27 is thereupon positioned to cut off the air-pump 24 andto connect the conduit 28 to the conduit 25, and the tivo-Way valve 23is then positioned to connect the conduit 25'to the apparatus 18 throughthe flexible conduit 20. The valve 29 is then positioned to connect thegas container 30 to the conduit 28, whereupon an excess amount ofammonia gas is permitted to flow into the apparatus 18. The flow isallowed to continue until a substantial pressure is set up 'Within ltheapparatus 18, the ammonia gas thus introduced being in part absorbed bythe solution already introduced into the receptacle 18a thus tocompensate for Whatever losses may have been incurred, and also tomingle with Whatever lresidual air may have remained Within theapparatus 18.

`Thevalve 29 is thereupon positioned to disconnect the gas holder 8()and to connect the conduit 28 to the testing apparatus 31. The

latter comprises a receptacle 31a containing Water, indicated at 31h,and in any suitable manner there is supported in inverted position avessel 31 having its open end submerged in the Water 311 and having aconnection with the conduit 291 leading to the valve 29.

The excess ammonia thus introduced into the apparatus 18 and placedtherein under a substantial pressure is allowed to escape into theinverted vesselfolc and carries With it as it escapes the residual airfrom the apparatus 18. The ammonia is absorbed in the Water 31", Whereasthe residual air carried with it escapes to the atmosphere in the pathindicated by the arrows a, and in so doing produces visible bubbles. Theescaping mixture of gas and residual air is allowed to continue untilthe cessation of bubbles takes place, which indicates that the residualair has been removed and that only ammonia gas is passing out of theapparatus 18, the ammonia producing no bubbles since it is dissolved lin my above-mentioned co-pending application. The refrigeratingapparatus 18 thus charged is thereupon ready for practical operation.

It will be understood that the devices and apparatus hereinabovedescribed as connected to the tank or reservoir 10 may represent onlyone of several of such devices and apparatuses similarly connected tothis reservoir or tank in order'to make possible the charging of aplurality of refrigerating apparatus at the same time. simplicity ofillustration, however, only one set of such devices and apparatuses isillustrated in the drawings. v

The refrigerating apparatus thus charged is found in practice to operateat high efficiency, and it may be noted thatva contributing factor tothis high efficiency of operation is the provision hereinabove describedfor insuring the exclusion or the entire removal of residual air fromthe interior of theapparatus. Also, in charging the solution withpotassium bichromate and with calcium chloride, the solvent is found to`dissolve or absorb greater quantities of the gas, thus insuring anefficient initial charging of the apparatus. Moreover, the potassium-bichromate prevents the formation during boiling point of the solutionto 180o C.,

Whereas the temperature necessary to drive off the gas and cause itsliquefaction may be in the neighborhood of 130o C. The vapor tension ofthe solution is thus decreased to such an extent that substantially nowater vapor is present in the refrigerating apparatus during itsoperation and thus the deleterious effects on the efficiency ofoperation, similar to the undesirable effects of the presence of air,are effectively avoided.

It will thus beseen that there has been provided in this invention anart and apparatus in which theI several objects hereinbefore set forth,as well as many advantages, are achieved. It will be seen that the artand apparatus provided for preparing, and charging the apparatus with,the solution adapt themselves readily for practical oper- ,ation and`particularly for such operation on a large or `commercial scale; and itmay further be noted that the invention makes possible a highlyefficient refrigerating action.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features ofthe above invention and as the art herein described might be varied invarious parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, itis to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in' theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative -and not in alimiting sense. For the sake of I claim as my invention:

1. The herein described art of filling refrigerating apparatus with asolution having dissolved therein a liquefiable gas, which consists inevacuating the apparatus to remove air therefrom, reducing thetemperature of the apparatus below that of the prepared solution, andthereupon introducing into the apparatus a predetermined quantity ofsaid solution.

2. The herein described art of charging refrigerating apparatus whichconsists in introducing a soluble gas into a liquid solvent tobedissolved thereby, reducing the temperature of the resultant solution,reducing the temperaturepof the refrigerating apparatus below that ofthe resultant solution, and introducing a predetermined quantity of saidsolution into the apparatus.

3. The herein described art of charging refrigerating apparatus whichconsists in introducing a soluble gas into a liquid solvent to bedissolved thereby, reducing the temperature of theresultant solution,heating said apparatus to drive off the air adhering to the wallsthereof, evacuating the apparatus to remove the air therefrom, reducingthe temperature of said apparatus, and thereupon introducing into theapparatus a predetermined quantity ofv said solution.

4. The herein described art of filling refrigerating apparatus with asolution having dissolved therein a liquefiable gas, which consists inintroducing a predetermined quantity of said solution into therefrigerating apparatus, passing into said solution within saidapparatus an additional amount of said gas, and permitting the excessgas with residual air to escape from said apparatus through anunsaturated Aliquid in which said gas is soluble.

5. In apparatus for filling refrigerating apparatus, in combination, acontainer adapted to receive a liquid having dissolved therein aliquefiable gas, means for heating the refrigerating apparatusI todrive. ofi' air adhering to the walls thereof, air-exhausting meansadapted to be connected to said refrigerating apparatus to remove airtherefrom, and means for thereupon connecting said container to saidrefrigerating apparatus to permit the introduction of said solution fromsaid container into said apparatus.

6. In apparatusfor filling refrigerating apparatus, in combination, acontainer-l adapted to receive a liquid having dissolved therein aliqueable gas, air-evacuating means adapted to be connected to therefrigerating apparatus to remove the air therefrom, means for reducingthe temperature of the refrigerating apparatus, and means for connectingsaid container to said refrigerating apparatus to permit theintroduction of said solution from said container into said apparatus.v

Y 7. In apparatus for lilling refrigerating apparatus, in combination, acontainer for receiving h liquid having dissolved therein a liqueablegas, air-exhausting means adapted to be connected to the refrigeratingapparatus to remove air therefrom, means for reducing the temperature ofthe apparatus below that of the solution -in said container, and meansfor connecting said container to said apparatus to permit theintroduction 'of solution into the apparatus.

8. In apparatus for filling refrigerating apparatus,` in combination, acontainer for receiving a liquid havin dissolved therein a liquefiablegas, means `01 heatin the refrigerating apparatus to drive o airadheringto the walls thereof, air-evacuating means adapted to be connected tothe a paratus to remove air therefrom, means or reducing the temperatureof said apparatus below that of the liquid solution in said container,and means for connecting said container to said apparatus to ermit theintroduction of solution into sai apparatus.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speciication this5th day of January, 1923.

o FERNAN O. CONILL.

